Database modeling and design is an important part of database management and performance. Nonetheless, there is currently no mechanism for implementing proven storage-optimized database layout methodology consistently in business data environments. Enterprises make substantial investments in databases and associated storage for critical enterprise data. The database layout, however, is typically designed with little, if any, consideration of how to make the best use of the storage when preparing the database layout. Each database is typically designed independently based on the subject matter knowledge, experience, and beliefs of any given database administrator, database architect and storage administrator.
The performance, throughput, and support challenges resulting from an initial misalignment between data layout and optimized storage are an accepted price of doing business in database technologies. Subsequent adjustments to data layout, however, can be costly, although there are tools available to assist with downstream storage/data layout alignment.
Given the significant investment of time and money attributed to storage infrastructure and databases in an enterprise setting, a need exists for improved methods and apparatus for generating a database layout that employs encapsulated approaches to data layout on storage.